Caracal’s official site no longer lists the CC10 sub-carbine but does show off a new 9mm sub machine gun named the CMP9 SMG. It is listed in three variants with five and a half inch barrel as the “K” model, six on the integrally suppressed (with an additional 6 inches for the suppressor), and nine inches for the standard model.

The SMG has a look akin to the modern SIG Sauer carbines, which isn’t surprising since Caracal hired Chris Sirois. Chris was the Team Lead of Special Weapons Development at SIG Sauer, then the head of R&D for Caracal International, and is now the Operations Manager for Caracal USA. [TFB note: See edit below]

One reason for the resurgence of the submachine gun is several new contracts for “police carbines” from European police forces looking for weapons that use the same ammunition as their service pistols. Another good reason, however, is that the blowback submachine gun is simply easy to design and produce; so it’s a no-brainer for a larger defense company to add a weapon of that type to their catalog.

EDIT: We were contacted by a representative from Caracal who wanted to clarify that Sirois was not involved with the development of the CMP9 submachine gun. Also, they wanted to clarify that the CMP9 is an original design, and not related in any way to the SIG MPX (which makes sense, as the MPX is a locked-breech, tappet gas piston operated weapon).

Nathaniel is a history enthusiast and firearms hobbyist whose primary interest lies in military small arms technological developments beginning with the smokeless powder era. In addition to contributing to The Firearm Blog, he runs 196,800 Revolutions Per Minute, a blog devoted to modern small arms design and theory. He can be reached via email at nathaniel.f@staff.thefirearmblog.com.

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Anonymoose

I hope they know that sand is going to get in those witness holes and jam the whole thing up.

PK

Sand usually isn’t a concern for the police/SWAT target market for SMGs, even military users don’t seem to have an issue with having witness holes like that. MP5 magazines have them exposed, so do 32 round Uzi mags, most SMG mags I can think of have exposed witness holes when loaded and inserted into the gun.

Still, it’s something of which to be aware as a potential problem when carrying a SMG while vacationing on a beach, as we all do from time to time.

Anonymoose

Did you miss the part where Caracal is from the UAE? To say that the UAE has a lot of sand would be a gross understatement.

PK

The Uzi, which as I mentioned has similar witness holes, was first made and used in a similar environment range and yet has a good track record. I really don’t see the issue.

thedonn007

I think those are based on uzi mags

claymore

Have to disagree with you on this one. Guessing you never had to crawl through sand to get closer to the objective. And yes police do that also.

TheNotoriousIUD

Electrical tape fixes everything.

Anonymoose

Ah, but Paki tape is the choice for the discerning mujahid.

Zachary marrs

Most halal

iksnilol

I’d go for transparent tape.

BrandonAKsALot

I’ve heard there’s a gun called the Kalashnikov that supposedly has mags with witness holes also… Someone better inform them of their error.

Actually they do. Have you seen an AK mag? There are even poly tech mags and the Valmet mags with 3. Standard AK mags have one to indicated a fully loaded mag.

Harry’s Holsters

Caracal has some cool products but I’ve yet to see them available online or in stores since the recall. Are you ever going to release product?

Gunner4guy

Was looking at a Caracal 2 years ago before my wife bought me a Walther for my birthday – loved the feel, balance, etc. and the price was right too. Wish I’d been able to test fire it but the pistol felt….. “just right”, (kind of like the old P239 was before some knucklehead designer messed with it) as Goldilocks said. When I went back to get it anyway.. it was gone and the LGS never carried another.

Harry’s Holsters

They had a recall years back and the pistol was probably from that batch. A lot of people spoke very highly of the gun minus the recall. The recall was also more than what was needed from what I have read on the issue. I really want to try one.

Gunner4guy

Yep, me too. Felt kind of like…..an extension of my hand. I saw about the recall and you may be right – never did understand why they were called back but I was told most, if not all of them that went back to the factory were destroyed(sounds like an over-reaction but….who knows…?). Kind of like to find out think – I’d still buy one if it was around and the price was right.

TheNotoriousIUD

…

PK

Make sure to look into the APC-9 from B&T, then. Similar look and characteristics!

TheNotoriousIUD

I know, if I had an APC-9 and a VP I wouldnt ask for another gun for the rest of my life.

PK

If you’re in the US, APC-9 pistols are being imported (or some have been already, I didn’t keep track) but sadly I don’t see the VP-9 being imported… perhaps if there’s enough demand for the base pistol itself, as the silencer can’t be brought in for civilian sales.

Still one out of two isn’t bad when talking about dream guns, right?

TheNotoriousIUD

I shouldnt complain, I already have a dream gun so Ill survive.
But the VP9 is a sweet pistol.
Thats some James Bond sh-t.

JumpIf NotZero

“This user is blocked.”

Let me guess… It was a no text post with just some meme pulled from tumbler or imgur or some other mindless place that mentions “take my money” or some euphemism, or something like that right? Yea, that wasn’t getting old as hell.

No add the enormous difference in diameter, and quality expanding ammo… that’s quite a show stopper. Now if only 10MM didn’t have such a steep case taper.. it’ll be hell designing a reliable 30rnd magazine.

Zachary marrs

Energy means nothing on its own

JumpIf NotZero

Right. But I’m just getting sick of all the people who write “but make it in 10mm or 357SIG” knowing full well they’d never pay to feed it.

It’s stupid. There is a 10mm Kriss, it doesn’t sell 1/10th as well as the 9mm.

Patriot Gunner

The Kriss doesn’t sell well…period. Believe it or not there is a segment of this market that is willing to pay for quality. That’s why there are companies like ASYM making 9mm that goes for 50 cents a pop. People buy this stuff. Also, speaking of just regular plinking ammo, 10MM is about the same dang price as 45 ACP, so whoever is complaining probably shoots steel cased Tula and thinks “its just as good.” Lastly, you are forgetting about gov purchasers. I doubt the extra cost associated with 10mm is a sticking point for them, especially when it comes to your alphabet soup Federal agencies.

Patriot Gunner

Exactly! In CQB environments this thing chambered in 10MM would be fantastic. Hard to design a reliable 30 round mag? Yes, but very doable.

Stan Darsh

Actually, the 26 round Glock .45acp magazines fit 31 rounds of 10MM and have been feeding great so far.

Fox Hunter

10mm is a straight walled cartridge, it should be easy to design a magazine, no need for curved or banana mags.

Ben Pottinger

The main reason most people want a 9mm carbine/subgun is ammo cost or quietness, neither of which 10mm does well. If your going to build a carbine with a really short barrel for killing people and kicking in doors then 300BLK really makes a ton of sense. With a 9″ barrel 110gr stuff is still moving quite fast and carrying 1200 ish ft-lbs of energy. It also carries the energy further than a 10mm would and is no slouch in terminal damage when it hits. It’s low recoil, low vlast, and quiet when suppressed (most police scenarios don’t care about subsonic, just suppressed).

I own a mp5 pdw and own(ed) a 8″ 300blk and have some experience with an AR 9mm. As a non door kicker the main reasons for the 9mm guns is fun. Their quiet, cheap and easy to shoot. The 300blk was awesome and if I was a hunter or door kicker I’d probably still have it, but subsonic ammo (even rolling your own) isn’t cheap because it uses expensive heavy match projectiles instead of cheap mass produced pistol projectiles. If I had to choose one of the three based entirely on the gun I’d probably go with the mp5. If ammo was cheaper I’d go with a 300blk (ar triggers are just better than mp5 triggers). And if fostech ever releases their echo trigger then I think I’d have to seriously consider the 9mm AR simply because the setup then gets really close to its original design intention, dropping a few holes downrange in a very short amount of time.

Schnee

Straight blowback 10mm, 40S&W, or .357sig is a great way to get a face full of shrapnel with any sort of reasonable bolt weight or recoil spring weight. Lots of pressure in those cartridges. You gotta keep them in chamber for quite a while following ignition if you don’t want the base to blow out.

Big Daddy

They should be gas operated. Blowback for those rounds just doesn’t work well even delayed.

Patriot Gunner

9mm +P+ has more pressure than the standard 10MM, using saami specs. I’ve seen plenty of guys run the 9mm +p+ in blowback operated guns. Yeah it wears everything out much faster, but it can be done safely. If the added expense is not an issue then obviously I would much rather go with a gas operated gun. Which by the way I think the 10MM would work extremely well in the Sig MPX.

Fox Hunter

40S&W guns already exist, Taurus has one, HK UMP 40 is another, Aero survival rifle and JR carbine and Thureon Defense also make carbines in 40 and even 10 mm.

David Jamison

Obviously not blowback design, but HK made 10mm MP5’s for the FBI. Which they threw in the shredder when they got bored with the round.

Skipper Lee

saw this at the Malaysian DSA2016 back in April. there was no literature available for the firearm back then, so I’m glad it’s finally listed on their website.

Those press photos are too dark on my screen to see clearly. Photographers in the 21st century should know half of all views are on phone screens these days.

Scott Tuttle

sure its aircraft grade aluminum but good luck trying to get one onto an airplane!

JumpIf NotZero

A blowback 9mm AR… Well, I’m sure it won’t have all the same issues every blowback AR has with the addition that this one has no buffer tube to get the reciprocating mass heavier.

lol, I’ll keep an eye on it, but I wouldn’t early adopt this.

Schnee

Another blowback 9mm —> meh. Please someone other than SIG and HK make something that doesn’t bark from the ejection port when running suppressed.

therealgreenplease

*heavy breathing*

John

Interesting. Looks like Caracal did what I always suggested Sig should do, which is make the magazine port small enough to fit a 9mm magazine. Now it looks more like an MP5 that can handle like and accept AR-15 accessories. It’s nice.

But until they’re made in the United States with the labor of well-paid citizens, I won’t be supporting the Arab Emirates.

Gidge

…but surely this one will be ok? right?

hkguns

In before the recall………..

Fox Hunter

Another muslim gun? no thanks, i ‘d rather have an HK UMP 40 or Scorpion EVo 3 or Sig MPX.

ABeiruty

Bring it on, to US.

Ben Pottinger

I see peiple saying pistol caliber carbines are “obselete” and I totally disagree. None of the standard shoulder arms employed by police are going to deal with hard plates so if we consider soft armor the only concern that can be handled with 9mm and the appropriate ammo. The Russians use an AP variant of 9mm. Using 9mm gives you the ability to switch to subsonic as well if you don’t need AP ability. The other main advantage is muzzle blast compared to 5.56 from a short barrel. 9mm (or 300blk) have a much milder muzzle blast than a 9″ 5.56 would have (my 10.5″ Noveske switchblock is a fire breather).

So 9mm is only “obselete” compared to 5.56 for those of us encumbered with silly regulations. For the government’s and Gmen out there unencumbered with such things 9mm subguns can easily handle “modern” threats.